CSAG CONFIRMS EXECUTION OF NINE DEATH ROW INMATES, CALLS FOR AN IMMEDIATE STOP TO EXECUTIONS

Press Release

August 24, 2012

The Civil Society Associations Gambia (CSAG) can confirm that nine (9) death row inmates at the Mile Two Central Prisons were executed between the night of August 23 and the morning of August 24, 2012.

The nine, including two Senegalese nationals are:

Lamin B. Darboe

Alieu Bah

Lamin Jarju

Dawda Bojang

Abubacarr YARBOi

Abdoulie Sonko

Lamin F Jammeh

Gibril Bah (Senegalese)

Tabara Samba (Senegalese, female)

It is still unclear exactly which location the executions took place in and what method of execution was used. What is however clear is that inmates were rounded up at 9.30 pm Thursday August 23 and that by the morning of August 24, the bodies were actually lying in the Mile Two Prison yard.

It is also confirmed that the families of the Death Row Inmates are yet to be contacted.

Many family members are contacting rights groups to intervene for fear that their husband’s will be part of the group to be executed tonight or that they have actually already been executed.

CSAG views the secret executions as inhumane and cruel and demands that President Yahya Jammeh and his brutal regime put an immediate step to this wanton disregard for human life.

It can be recalled that last Sunday, August 20 President Yahya Jammeh threatened to execute death row inmates in Mile Two Central Prison. His remarks prompted an international uproar and CSAG in collaboration with Amnesty International, RADDHO and other rights organizations around the world demanded that Yahya Jammeh rescind his threats.

Since and despite statements from the African Union, ECOWAS, the French government and Nigeria’s President Jonathan Goodluck, rights groups expressing dismay at Yahya Jammeh’s announcement President Yahya Jammeh has started the unthinkable by actually executing nine (9) death row inmates.

CSAG is once again calling on the Senegalese, Malian, Nigerian and Guinea Bissau authorities to stand by their nationals and do what is right by them. All the necessary arrangements must be made to save the lives of these individuals

We also call on the Senegalese authorities to do whatever it takes to ensure that The Gambia Government throws light on the executions of its two nationals Tabara Samba and Gibril Bah.

We call on all Gambians in particular the families of the death row inmates, religious and political leaders, human rights groups, journalists and the legal fraternity to stand up together and say “ENOUGH is ENOUGH”.

All Gambians must do something in our little way to ensure that the necessary actions are taken to ensure that our blood thirsty dictator does not get away with this MURDER most FOUL.

May the souls of the unfairly executed rest in perfect peace, Amen.

Signed

CSAG Executive

i Abubacarr YARBO did not feature in the CSAG release (list) of August 22 as our prison source only found him (actually sick and abandoned) late yesterday afternoon.